Latch lock



Patented Aug. 23, 149-32 UNITED sTA'ras- WILLIAM n.

LATCH Loox j Appncauon ma oetober v5, 192s. seria; No. 310,516.

This invention relatesto door latches, and more particularly to latches ofthe kind thatV have a pivoted latch bar that swings up and down,pivoted on the door, and have a stationary strike piece whichis ordinarily secured to the door frame, whereby the strike piece is engaged by the latch bar, when the door is closed, andjwhereby the door is thereby automatically latched in closed position.

Generally stated, the object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved construction whereby said latch bar may be raised, to disengage it from the strike piece thereby to unlatch the dooigby the insertion i of a key in akey hole formed inthe means forming in effect the axis or pivot ofthe latch bar, and by turning said key'to par-l tially rotate the saidlpivot or axis means, thereby utilizing the key as a thumb piece 2o or handle by which' tooperate the pivoted latch bar and therebyunlatch the door.` It is also an object toprovide certain details and features of construction and combinations tending to increase the general eiiiciency and the desirability of a key-operated pivoted latch-bar mechanism of this particular character. Y y

To the foregoing and other useful ends, the invention consists in the matters herein-V eo after set :forth and claimed, and shown in the accompanying drawing, in which,-

v Fig. 1 is an inside face view or elevation of 'a portion of a door, and of the adjacent portion of the door frame, showing the same ai equipped with the pivoted latch-bar mecha-V nism embodying the principles of the invention. Y Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on line 2,-2 in Fig. 1. l Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section `on line 3-3 in Fig. 2. p 4 Y Fig. 4 is a perspective of the plate which forms the cover for said mechanism, which plate is secu-red to the inner side of the door,

Fig. 8 is detail'section on line-8f3v f `Figli is-anouter faceviewof the key-hole y portionf'of thelatch mechanism.j,

Fig. 7 isA afview similar to Figf, but

larger. Stale', mid' with-"the key-operate@ meChMiSmShOwn in vertical section. I

Fig. 2.

Yfing. 9 is Fig. 7 with certain portions or pa'rtsomitted;- As thus illustrated, the invention. com-kl prises a more" or less cylindricallbarrel lv set in-fa recess formed inthe door 2, said barrel having an'out'e'r iange 3 bearing upon'the outer `side of theV door(v A' sheet-met`alplate 4" hasf-a` struckout portion 5 'andi' is' secured byscrew's inserted through holes 7 in said plate, into vth'e'inner side of the door.u In ad`` dition, said plate hasja'bent or 'right-angle end portion Sprovided witliscre'wholefs 9' for the insertionof'screws into the edge "portion of the door. Said plate4'al`so has an opensingllO which forms al bearing for the end' poril tion `O'f'lthe square spindle "11,`which v latter rERRIs, or sfritnLINc.,V ILLINOIS, AssIGNoR 'ro FnANTz MANUrAcrrfiIIaI1`xIev co., oF STERLING, ILLINOIS, A conPoRATIoN or ILLINOIS daaiiseeiien nime again has a compensating'pivot at` 12in the innerend portion 13 of the cylindrical orround axis member 14 mounted to rotate in theJ barrell l previously mentioned. f Saidbarrel hasa ixed stop pin 15, onthe face or inner endof said barrel, andthe Vportion v131 is cut away to form shoulders l'and lforv engagement with said stop pin,.thereby tolimit the rotation of theaxis member 14, in a mannery that will be readily understood. A latch barlS has one end portion provided with'asquare,

hole 19 through which thespin'dle 11 extends,

this latch barbeing thus mounted'toswing up and down between the portion 5 andthe outer face of the Abody portion of the plate' 4' w previously mentioned. Screws 20 are` inserted through the plate 4 and finto the-barrel 1, thus holding the latter in position. '4 'l Obviously, by rotation of the member 14, orl partial rotation thereof, the latch bar 1 8 will be raised,and for'this purpose theme'm ber 14 is providedwith a keyhole l21 shaped to ita certainkey 22,-whereby the lattercan be used as athumb piece or handle by which to partially rotate the member l14 and thus raise the latch.

.il Y lThe strike'V piece23 secured to the door frame 25, and is provided with a right-angle or bent portion 26 which forms a i Vstop for the door 2, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, and which eectually closes the joint 27 between the door frame 25"and the door jamb 28,l thus making it impossible to g insert a knife or thin instrument through saidjoint. and'under the latch bar 18, Vin an effort tol open the door without a; key. The

portion 26- can beset-into the door j amb' 28A so that the eXposed'surface of the portion26 will be flush with the inner side of thesdoor jamb, so that the door will close tightly against said door jamb. Furthermore,lit will be seen that this strike piece has upper `and lower engaging portions 29 and .'30, with'upper and lower' notches`31 and32, atltheinner ends ,ofthese engaging portions, for receiving the swinging end Vportionof.the latch bar '7" 18 previously mentioned. In this way, the strike piece 23 can be employed on either a right or left door, as it can be turned upside down from the position shown in Fig. 5"to bring the portion 29 and the notch 31 into operativefrelatioi to the'` latch bar, if ySllCh is necessaryY or desirable. The plate 4 and 'all 'of the elements attached thereto can also be turnedupside down, or reversed, for`either a Vright or* left' door, and hence the' pivoted latch-bar mechanism can be used "in itsfen-` tirely- 'upon either a rightV or 'left door with# out anychanges inthe construction thereof. "It is`obvious 'that eachand every pivoted latch-bar mechanisml embodying the invention may have `a key 21 of dillerentform or shape, so vthatno two latches will have the same shape or form of key hole, and a'key to fit each and everylatch 'l mechanism 'can' be provided. `Thus the key vhas'the double function, so to speak, of operating the pivoted' latch-and unlocking the door. Y n

Y It will be seen that with thefsubstantial length shown for Vthe. spindle 11, andy with screw holesof'su'iiicient depth in'the'barrel 1,'for the screws 20, the distance between-thel flange 3 and the plate 4 mayvary somewhat, depending upon the thicknessof the door. The spindle 11 rotates in thehole 10 as a bear-l ing, and the spindle can slide 'endwise in the hole 19, when the parts are assembled, thus Ypermitting application of the 'latch mecha# msm tov doorsof dierent thicknesses. By pivoting the square orpolygonal spindle 11 at 1,2,o`nthe portion 13, the assembling of the kparts is somewhat facilitated,'and there can beinoi-'ev or less inexact alignment, due tothe shape orformation of the wood door, or of the parts. of the mechanism, without vinterfering with'the' easy coupling together of the barrel land the plate-`4, and without causing the movable parts to bind in the operationV of the latch mechanism. v c L l When the door is closed, thelower'edge of thQvlatCh bar 18jstrikes onefor the" other of the engaging portions 29 or 30,"f`depending upon'theposition of the mechanism, and the latchv bar rides up the incline of such engaging portion until it drops into the notch 31 or 32, depending upon whether the door is a right or left door. To open the door, the key 22 is inserted in they key hole-21, and given a twist or turn in one directionjto lift the latch" bar out of the notch 31, or the notch 32, so that the door can then be freely opened.

.Of course, without some sort of means'to prevent, thev Vmen'iber 14 might be turned with a screw-driver vor other instrument, by an unauthorized person; but to prevent this,

key-:operated tumbler mechanism, of a well yknown form, is employed, which brieflyis as .followsLThis mechanismfis shown in Figs. 7, l8 and 9,1and: comprises"afseriesof pairs of vertical movable'tumblers-'33, which are slotted differently f to vprovide Y vertical slots throughwhich the key may be inserted,` as shown. The barrel 1 is provided -with uppera'nd lower longitudinal grooves 34 and 35 to receive the upper and lower ends of the tumblers, as the tumblers are pushed -one'way or the'other'by the insertion and withdrawal of thekey. Whenthey key is withdrawn, the

gravity y'into the grooveY 35, thus effectually locking' the .member -14 against rotation. One pair of' tumblers has the wellknown vtumblers, or some of"them,"drop down'by coiledspring (notshown) applied theretov for'causingl one memberof'the pair to moveuprinto'the groove v34 and the other member' to move downward into the Vgroove 3 5, positively, when the Akey' ist.' withdrawn.' The part 13, it will be seen, is inthe form of a Vcollar keyed on the inner end ofthe member 14'by the pin 12 previously mentioned.. By forcing out this pin, the collar 13 can be removed, andthe tumbler mechanismvcan be taken apart'. ButY any 'suitable form of lock mechanism can be employed, vcapable ,ofy lifting the latch bar when the key is twisted or turned, without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

It will be seen'that by withdrawing' the vscrews 20, theaXis member 11i and parts 1 and 3 can be withdrawn from theouter side of the door, thereby Y releasing the latch i bar 18from the inner side of thevdoor, when it is desired to remove the mechanism -fromfthe e the lock and spindle are easily pushed through the door, and through the latch bar, and are easily removed or withdrawn, for there is no binding action either in the assembling or the operation of the latch mechanism thus provided.

It is evident, from the drawing and the foregoing description, that the latch bar 18 can not swing up and down about its pivot unless the key 22 is in the lock, for when the key is not thus inserted, the tumblers, as previously explained, hold the cylindrical barrel against rotation. Obviously, therefore, when the door is open, the key can be left .in the lock, and when the door is slammed shut, the latch bar 18 will be free to rise over the cam 30, and to thereby assume a latching position. It will also be seen, from the foregoing, and from the drawing, that the spindle 11 has direct non-rotary engagement with the latch bar 18, and that withdrawal of the spindle from the squared hole 19 in the latch bar, of necessity leaves the latter free to be removed endwise from the guard 5 forming a part of the back plate 4 by which the lock mechanism is held in place. In other words, the latch bar 18 is supported entirely by the spindle 11, vand withdrawal of the latter leaves the latch bar without any pivotal support or mounting whatever.

The barrel portion 13 has its inner end provided with a transverse slot in which the flattened end of the spindle 11 is disposed, as shown in Figs. 2, 7 and 8, and the pin 12 extends through this slot and the said iiattened end portion of the spindle, thereby to removably hold the spindle in operative engagement with the slot, whereby it is the side walls of the slot that communicate the torque to the spindle 11, when the barrel is rotated by the key, as well as or even more so than the said removable pin, as with this slot formation there is practically very little torque strain on t-he said pin. In addition, the guard plate 4, being provided with the portion 5, is in effect provided with two aligned slots, one at each end of the portion 5, in'which the latch bar 18 is free to move up and down, and in which the said latch bar is displaceable endwise when disengaged from the spindle.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A door latch adapted to be both unlocked and operated by a removable key, comprising lock mechanism inserted through the door from the outside, having a spindle projecting 'from the inner side of the door, adapted to be both unlocked and rotatably operated by the insertion of a key therein, a latch bar having direct non-rotary loose engagement with the inner end portion of said spinwith a strike piece on the doorway, and means for removably fastening said mechanism in place, whereby withdrawal of said mechanism from the outer side of the door will disengage the latch bar from its pivotal support, comprising a plate secured to the inner side of the door and provided with a guard covering an intermediate portion of said latch bar, thereby to normally maintain said loose engagement of the latch bar with the spindle, whereby said latchbar is removable by endwise displacementl thereof after disengagement from said spindle.

2. A door latch adapted to be both unlocked and operated by a removable key, comprising lock mechanism inserted throughthe door from the outside, having aspindle projecting from the inner side of the door, adapted to'be both unlocked and rotatably operated by the .insertion of a keytherein, a latch bar having direct non-rotary loose engagement with the inner end portion of said spindle, so that said spindle forms the supp-orting pivot or axial support for thelatch bar, said latch bar being adapted for engagement with a strike piece on the doorway, and mean-s for removably fastening said mechanism in place, whereby withdrawal of said mechanism from the outer side of the door will disengage the latch bar from its pivotal support, comprising a guard plate fastened to the inner side of the door,'partially lcovering said latch bar, thereby to maintain said normally loose engagement ofthe latch bar with the spindle, said guard plate having a plurality of screws forming the means for detachably holding said mechanism in place.

8. A door latch adapted to be yboth unlocked and operated by a removable key, com- A prising lock mechanism inserted through the door from the outside, having a spindle projecting from the inner side of the door, adapted to be both unlocked and rotatably operated by the insertion of a key therein, a latch bar having direct non-rotary loose engagement with the inner end portion of said spindle, so that said spindle forms the supporting pivot or axial support for the latch bar, said latch bar being adapted for engagement with a strike piece on the doorway, and means for removably fastening said mechanism in place, whereby withdrawal of said mechanism from the outer side of the door will disengage the latch bar from its pivotalsupport, comprising a guard plate secured to the inner side of the door, shaped to provide two oppositely aligned slots for the latch bar, thereby maintaining said normally loose engagement of the latch bar with the spindle, in which the latch bar is movable up and down, and in which the latch bar is displaceable endwise after disengagement from-said spindle.

Specification signed this lst day of October, 192s.

WILLIAM D. FERRIS. 

